To be declare to School Admissions Dept that we are renting temporarily in catchment?

[Broderieanglaise]

We are renting in catchment because we genuinely can't find a house to buy. We have the intention and funds to buy within catchment, there just isn't anything coming onto the market and there hasn't been since the beginning of the summer holidays. Literally not a single 3-4 bedroom house within the admittedly very tiny catchment area of the school.

The school admissions brochure states if we own a house elsewhere, then any other address will be considered as temporary. But if we sell our other house (which is 45 mins away and next to some excellent state schools already), then we'll lose out on capital appreciation. In other words if we're out of the property game for 12 months or more we're likely to find we can't get back on at the same level in our new area. House prices went up 15% in our area last year and the same is predicted this year.

So am I being unreasonable in asking the admissions dept to allow our application? Am I likely to get a clear answer from them before putting in my application?

So why have you moved?

Curlew - I understand, even though it does sound absurd if you live in an area with a good infrastructure. My parents live 7 miles away from my old school as the crow flies, but much more than that by road. Our suburb might as well have been 20 miles away from the town my school was in: the atmosphere, amenities, crime statistics etc were totally different, and it usually took a minimum of 1.5 hours to get home after school (even though the journey would take 30 mins on a clear road).

Curlew, we've moved because we love the new area. Old area was not a bad one and very desirable but we want to move to the place we see ourselves living in long term. New area would be a better quality of life, not so busy and lots more green space.

It's 6 miles away as the crow flies but easily 45 mins by car or other transport.

New rental in a small and desirable catchment. No other reason to move (like job transfer). Old house within the 'one hour' rule of thumb used by LEAs across E/W as definition of 'reasonable' for admissions purposes.

I think you'll have a really hard time persuading the LEA that your rented address in genuine. Especially if it's been preciously used by families who rent and flit. Sorry.

While I am sure you are genuine that you will not move back to your owned house, I would doubt very much that you could persuade the LEA of this. I think they could reasonably assume that you are renting purely to be in catchment . They could argue that as you are only moving 6 miles, most people would sell your current house, and then either buy or rent in the new area. As you are not waiting to sell your house before you move, and have no particular time constraint to move to the new area, such as starting a job, it could look that you are renting only to be in catchment.

I'm sorry to say that if I was from the LEA, I would be suspicious , especially as the distance you are moving is so short

Is all your paperwork in order for the rental e.g catchment GP, DVLA, electoral role, council tax, child benefit/child tax credit letters? These are the key docs they will check.

It'll be easier if the two properties are in different LA's. School places are so short in some parts of the home counties and London/major cities right now that a 45 min commute & 7 miles won't cut any ice at all. London needs to find an extra 100,000 primary places over the next 5 years so LA's are doing anything they can to try and avoid adding unnecessary numbers to the school roll out of sheer necessity. It's about having a place at all, never mind parental choice.

I'm not sure why you are renting the old house rather than just flogging it. Keeping it on as a rental may make them think you intend to move back in after the tenants have done their initial 6 month let.

Have you moved other things - nursery/CM for other children? Where do you work, are you closer now?

When our dc were starting primary/secondary no one asked anything about other properties (we do own a rented out holiday home where we used to live full time but it's 250 miles and a ferry ride away). Last time we were asked we were renting, but just asked for a utility bill, now we're in our own (second) property and will get forms for dc2 transfer to secondary after Christmas but I assume it'll be the same.

We're in Scotland though where catchment schools are required to take all pupils in the catchment, even if it requires extra staff, which might make a difference? (We don't use catchment school as we use a specialist language provision elsewhere).

our LA demands council tax bill as proof of address, they cannot insist that you cant rent yours and rent another, I am living in a house I dont own and will be renting my own house out and had no issues with school

and this is a really bad time to sell and a really good time to buy, which is exactly why I will be renting my old house - Id make money at the moment by leaving it sat empty, as it is it is covering the costs of where I am now and will appreciate in value to the point where I will be mortgage free in 10 years if I sit on it.

happymummy I'm afraid LAs can and some do insist that they won't accept a rental address if you own another property. With increasing pressure on school places and some parents renting properties close to schools in order to get a place this is how many weed out the fraudulent applicants.

The OP's reasons may be innocent but unfortunately she's ticking a number of the boxes that suggest to the LA she's making a fraudulent application.

How would they even know?? They have no legal right to go poking around in someones financial information - here there is no such clause.

We are talking about 2 different LEA's. I am not selling old house as it's flying up in value at the moment.

Therefore it would be mad to sell now and have to wait a year plus for somewhere to buy.

also what about women and or men who are RPs but have left the FMH?

I guess it would depend on the school. At my DC school this happened about 5 years ago - several famililes rented out their houses and rented in the next road to the school. Then the families moved back to old houses once their kids started at the school!

"Could you transfer ownership of your house to DH's sole name, and make the school application in yours."

I think no as you would have to pay stamp duty on the transfer.

But you could lie - how would they know you ever owned a house before? Or say that you sold it.

However genuine you are the admissions board has to look at the facts. The problem is is that you are doing exactly what someone's who was trying to pull a fast one would do. It would be hard for them to allow you a place as they would be seen as condoning an easy way to get a place at the school.

How long is your rental contract? (Sorry if you have already said). If it's a year contract it will look better than a shorter contract.

My LA just wanted the regular proof of address and child identity, - they didn't look into whether we owned our house or rented it. If you did move back, then they might have cause for concern. I can't see how it would be an issue, they don't have time to vet every application, surely?

How would they even know?? They have no legal right to go poking around in someones financial information - here there is no such clause.

There are documents they can access. Some of which are publicly available. It wouldn't be financial information.

My LA doesn't have this clause either. Just a general statement about removing school places from parents who've applied fraudulently. Mostly because it doesn't have a big problem with parents fraudulently applying for places. My guess is that for the OP's LA to have this clause it has had a big problem with people renting in the area and then moving back into their original properties in the past. If they've put it in the admissions booklet I wouldn't bet against them being very thorough at checking applications.

No advice, but what a bugger of a situation. Really feel for you.

Crazy situation. My dd had to go on second round of offers for reception as we had just moved into the country, were living in temporary accomodation, but looking for a rental in a specific area. They wouldn't even let me LODGE the application until we had somewhere. And then would not it be considered as not late, as them not letting me submit the form was not a satisfactory excuse for a late application.

I only managed to get my older child in before we had our names on the council after I got the local MP on board who said they were "all bonkers"

Sorry doesn't help you either unless you chat to the mp should you have issues?

I'm sorry but your actions do sound very suspicious.

It definitely sounds like you have rented to get into the school and will most likely move back into your own house at a later point.

45 minutes to get to school is not a long time at all Plenty of people spend this amount of time travelling to school on foot and bus, so spending this time in a car is no different.

If your school does routinely check on home ownership then you had better sell up now.

All you can do is be honest- we had to supply a completion form here in Scotland for dds school place, she started in the August and we bought in June, last minute we were lucky. Hope you'll be the same. Sad they have to do it but so many people lie.

I wish people would read through the whole thread before asking the same questions repeatedly.

Just be honest. You are in a family house, you have all your bills etc there, if they check they can clearly see this is your main residence. You have a property close by but it is also next to a really good primary. There is no reason for you to move JUST to get into a good school. You are doing it because you want to move to that area and until you can buy you will rent.

You are not in a house that is smaller than the one you own, and you have evidence to show you are there long term. Include that evidence.

Your only other option is to just put in your application with all the rest of the info required. And if they don't specifically ask for details of property you own, don't give it. Then hope that any checks they do will clearly show you live in the rental and they are happy with that. I think I would rather be honest at the start and know for sure.